How to Create Color Formatting Rules in OnePlan

Direct Answer: How to Create Color Formatting Rules in OnePlan

To create a color formatting rule in OnePlan, go to Administration > Format Rules (available when Advanced Settings are enabled), click the Add dropdown, and select Task Format (for task-level fields, shown in the Plan Task Schedule Grid) or Plan Format (for plan-level fields, shown in the Portfolio module). Select the Field to format, choose a Format Type of Cell or Row, set a Color and/or Background Color, add one or more Format Calculations to define when the rule applies, and click Save.

What This Article Covers: Format Rule Coloring

This article explains how to create and manage color formatting rules in OnePlan, including the Format Rule general settings, the color picker, format calculations, and where formatted colors appear across the product — including on Reporting Dashboard Card and Treemap widgets.

What you will accomplish Create a color formatting rule that highlights a field’s cells, rows, or dashboard visualizations based on the field’s value.

Before You Begin: Creating Color Formatting Rules

• You need access to Administration > Format Rules.
• Advanced Settings must be enabled in your environment for Format Rules to be available.
• Create a separate rule for each scenario or value of a field that is part of a rule. For example, for a field with choices A, B, and C, create three rules — one for each value.

Why This Matters: Format Rule Coloring

One Set of Rules, Many Places Colors Appear

Format Rule colors aren’t limited to a single view. The same rule can color a cell or row in the Plan Task Schedule Grid or Portfolio module, drive the Color By setting on the Portfolio Roadmap and Board views, and — as of the August 28, 2026 release — automatically color values on Reporting Dashboard Card and Treemap widgets. Configuring the rule once here applies it everywhere that field’s value is displayed with color.

Context: Format Rules on Reporting Dashboard Card Widgets

Card widgets on Reporting Dashboards respect Format Rule coloring. When the field selected as a Card widget’s Value has a Format Rule with color coding defined, the card displays that color automatically — there is no separate color setting on the Card widget itself. See How to Add a Card Widget in OnePlan.

Context: Format Rules on Reporting Dashboard Treemap Widgets

Treemap widgets on Reporting Dashboards also respect Format Rule coloring. If the field selected in the Treemap widget’s Color By field already has a Format Rule with color coding defined, the treemap uses those field-level colors automatically, and the widget’s own Color Palette setting is grayed out. If the Color By field has no Format Rule configured, Color Palette applies instead. See How to Add a Treemap Widget in OnePlan.

Context: Two Ways to Access the Same Format Rule Settings

Format rules can also be configured from the Work or Plan Fields configuration interface, on the Formats tab of an individual field, rather than from Administration > Format Rules. These are two access points to the same underlying settings — updating a format rule at the global Format Rules level updates the corresponding field-level configuration, and vice versa. See Plan Fields - Configure Field Formats for the field-level entry point into the same configuration.

Context: Format Rules on the Portfolio Roadmap and Board Views

On the Portfolio Roadmap page, there is a Color By setting. When a field is selected as the color by, format rules must exist to determine the colors of the roadmap bars. If no format rules are configured for the selected field, the bars display as white with no specific formatting.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Color Formatting Rule in OnePlan

Task: Add a Format Rule

Starting from Administration:

1. Select Format Rules in the navigation. This is available when Advanced Settings are enabled.
2. Click the Add dropdown menu.
3. Select a format:
   • Task Format — For task-level fields. The formatting shows in the Plan Task Schedule Grid.
   • Plan Format — For plan-level fields. The formatting shows in the Portfolio module.

Task: Configure Format Rule General Settings

1. Field — Select the field to format. Plan-level fields show “(Plan)” after the field name.
2. Format Type — Select Cell or Row.
3. Color — Open the color palette selector to set the text color.
4. Background Color — Open the color palette selector to set the background color.
5. Tooltip — Enter text to show when hovering over the formatted cell or row.

Task: Choose a Color

1. Select a color by clicking in the main color block, using the sliders on the scales, or typing directly into the R, G, and B values. The HEX code updates based on your selection.

Use a free online tool like a HEX color picker to find a specific HEX code and its corresponding RGB values ahead of time, then enter it directly into the R, G, B fields.

Task: Add Format Calculations

1. Add one or more calculations for the format rule. Select the Field, Operator, and Value that define when the rule applies.
2. Click Save.

Example:

The example above shows the Approval Status cell formatted green or red based on the value of the Approval Status plan-level field, as seen in the Portfolio List View:

The same rule also drives the Color By bars on the Portfolio Roadmap and Board views:

Frequently Asked Questions: Format Rule Coloring

Q: How do I create a color formatting rule in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, go to Administration > Format Rules, click Add, select Task Format or Plan Format, choose a Field and Format Type, set a Color and/or Background Color, add one or more calculations, and click Save.

Q: Why don’t I see Format Rules in the Administration navigation in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, Format Rules are only available when Advanced Settings are enabled in your environment. Contact your OnePlan administrator if you don’t see this option.

Q: What is the difference between Task Format and Plan Format in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, Task Format applies to task-level fields and shows in the Plan Task Schedule Grid. Plan Format applies to plan-level fields and shows in the Portfolio module.

Q: Why do my Portfolio Roadmap bars show as white in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, the Portfolio Roadmap’s Color By setting requires a format rule for the selected field to display any color. If no format rule exists for that field, the bars display as white with no specific formatting.

Q: Do format rules apply to Reporting Dashboard widgets in OnePlan? A: Yes. In OnePlan, Card and Treemap widgets on Reporting Dashboards automatically use format rule colors when the field they display or group by has a format rule configured. There is no separate color setting to configure on those widgets — the same rules created in Format Rules apply.

Q: What is the difference between configuring format rules in Administration > Format Rules and in the Plan Fields configuration interface? A: There isn’t one — in OnePlan, these are two access points to the same underlying settings. Configuring a format rule at the global Administration > Format Rules level and configuring it on a field’s Formats tab in Plan Fields both read and write the same configuration. A change made in one location is reflected in the other.

What to Do Next: Format Rule Coloring

See format rule colors in action on dashboards: - How to Add a Card Widget in OnePlan - How to Add a Treemap Widget in OnePlan

Configure the same settings from an individual field: - Plan Fields - Configure Field Formats

Related administration settings: - Plan Fields - Configure Field Calculations - Work Fields - Configure Field Calculations - How Do I Configure Lookup Fields